Rafael Nadal, the 22 times Grand slam champion, has come a long way. The teenage Nadal who stepped into the sport with an array of dreams, would be proud of him. The Spaniard now has become the player who represents tennis. To the level that even people who do not follow tennis know who he is.

Further, Nadal will soon compete on the hard courts of the US Open with the goal of achieving his 23rd Grand Slam title and furthering his all-time men’s record in majors victory. Speaking of such tremendous records raises the thought that did debutant Nadal ever expect to reach such heights. What was his definition peak and what kind of mindset did he have back then?

The younger Rafael Nadal

Nadal turned pro in the year 2001 with his mind already in the league of the legendary players. The 16-year-old entered the ATP with strong will power and a well-crafted list of ambitions. As he said, “Well, I guess it would be to go as far as I can, to become a great tennis player. I just have to keep working hard every day. I know it won’t be easy.”

Thereafter, he added, “There’s so much high-level competition out there. Normally, when I play in tournaments because I’m younger than everyone else, I always think they must be much better than me. But then you get on the court and because I’m a fighter and I really hate losing, things tend to level out.” The Spanish young blood staying true to his claims bagged his first ever Grand Slam trophy within four years of his debut.

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‘The Goal Is to Win’- Rafael Nadal Explains Why Talent Is Nothing if You Cannot Win Matches

Nadal in the year 2005, at the age of 19, clinched his first out of 14 French Open trophies. Further, he rose to the ranking of world no.1 in the year 2008 with three French Open titles and one Wimbledon title under his name.

What lies ahead?

The two times Wimbledon champion was very close to sealing a Calendar Grand Slam this season. Though a quarterfinals injury dragged the chances to dust. Nadal had to withdraw from the third Grand Slam, just two steps away from the trophy. However, the year still has much to offer. Nadal will have a golden opportunity of reigning in the US Open with both Federer out of the circuit and 2021 runner-up Djokovic facing a ban due to compulsory vaccination.

Watch this story: Rafael Nadal’s biggest fan, Serena Williams, cheers for his success at Wimbledon Championships 2022

The 36-year-old now has recovered from the Wimbledon injury and will compete for his sixth Canadian Open title. Last year Nadal missed the chance of defending his ATP 1000 trophy in Montreal because of the resurfacing of his foot injury. Though at present he seems to have his injury under control.